Fully-Automatic Food Preparation Device, Machine Readable Data On Food Bearing Pouch And Initiation Of Food Preparation Via Mobile Device Reservation

ABSTRACT

The system and method for providing dynamic and static information on a label relating to a sealed package for cooking. The dynamic information can include data about the contents of the package which can include spoiling events or thawing which can impact the further processing of the contents, wherein the contents of the label can be used by itself and or with a user selected ready time to control the cooking of the sealed package.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application claims priority to provisional patent application No.61/962,047, filed on Oct. 30, 2013.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to residential or commercial cookingappliances, in specific sous vide cooking (cooking in a relativelylow-temperature water bath) and/or more conventional yetunder-technologized cooking methods such as microwave cooking. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to an automated, controlledcooking process with a sealed container including static and dynamicinformation for the scanning and cooking of the contents therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The technique of cooking meat, fish or vegetables in an evacuated,sealed pouch with herbs, seasonings, oils and/or other flavorants placedin a bath of relatively low-temperature circulating water at a precisetemperature; a process identified as “Sous Vide” has been growing inpopularity owing to the nutritional and gastronomic benefits since itsinception in the 1970's. Such processes would entail, for example,cooking a steak at its “Rare” temperature (e.g., 134° F.), but nohigher. While it would take substantially longer than quickly grillingit, the process would result in no “gray areas” and the steak would beuniformly rare and succulent from outside to the core, even if cookedsubstantially longer than food safety would dictate. More importantly,this technique affords tenderness with even the toughest cuts of meat,given that prolonged low-temperature cooking breaks-down toughconnective tissue in often flavorful but chewy cuts. Such a steak couldbe “finished” by high heat searing simply to add grill marks, etc. Thisprocess compares favorably with traditional high-heat methods which arenotorious for inadvertent overcooking with unpleasant results such as“rubber chickens”.

One of the benefits of cooking slowly in an evacuated pouch (withoutoxidation) is that even very tough cuts of meat are slowly broken-downleaving rich flavor and little of the unpleasant toughness that isassociated with fast, high-temperature cooking. The other desirableaspect of Sous Vide cooking is that flavors are enhanced, concentratedand complexity is developed over time, not degraded by oxidation.Indeed, many who have eaten at a high-end restaurant have likely haveenjoyed Sous Vide cooking without even knowing it.

Unfortunately, the adoption of this low temperature technique has beenlimited to professional chefs and food aficionados because of thetechnical challenges required for the technique to reliably eliminatefood-borne pathogens. Presently, users of this equipment must understand(or at least appreciate and over compensate for) the intricacies ofobtaining the required logarithmic reduction in pathogens that anycooking process, especially low temperature cooking processes such asSous Vide are governed by. Food aficionados and professional chefs canobtain reasonable results by making some mathematical calculations(e.g., regarding cross-section of food and core temperature targets fora given protein) and more often than not cooking longer than required tomake sure. However, the general consumer population cannot be expectedto do so and indeed, danger to the persons attempting to employ SousVide techniques would certainly ensue.

Thus, the present state of the art reflects a need for a system andmethod which provides a flexible tool supporting sous vide and othercooking processes which could benefit from the modulation of cookingenergy.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Those of skill in the art are aware a variety of tools for assisting thesous vide cooking process. For instance, WIPO Patent ApplicationWO2104019018 A1 entitled “Sous Vide Device” relates to domestic cookingappliances, and more particularly to a domestic sous vide device. Thisdevice discloses the use of an RFID tag or the like extending from acorner of the sous vide bag for identification. This disclosure furtherteaches the use of a special device including a controller which may beused with such bags, wherein the device displays a suggested cookingtime and temperature. This reference, however, teaches the use of aprobe or the like to obtain temperature information of the contents of apackage, including a reusable probe that extends through the packaginginto the contents. A seal around such a probe is an unworkablearrangement due to the differential coefficients of thermal expansion ofa probe and a pouch. Moreover, nothing in this reference teaches orsuggesting controlling the cooking process with information specific tothe package, operating in a variety of cooking devices, or providinginformation about the package subsequent to being sealed (e.g., spoilinginformation) but prior to being cooked (i.e.: the food safety historyfrom packer to kitchen).

In sum, none of the known prior art approaches permit a package tocontrol the cooking based upon the specific contents of the packagewhile providing information to prevent the accidental cooking of foodthat may already be spoiled.

What is needed is a non-invasive method for providing a mechanism forcontrolling the process, cooking as well as dynamic information specificto the package.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following terms are used in the claims of the patent as filed andare intended to have their broadest plain and ordinary meaningconsistent with the requirements of the law.

The following terms are used in the claims of the patent as filed andare intended to have their broadest plain and ordinary meaningconsistent with the requirements of the law.

An “automated, controlled cooking process” means a cooking device thatincludes, interfaces with, or is connected with an automated reader(e.g., a bar code scanner, rfid pinger or the like) which operates withinformation on a food package being read to provide controls (e.g.,cooking time and/or temperature) for cooking the food package beingread.

A “thermally conductive layer” is a layer forming at least part of thefood package through which heat from inside the container may permeatetherethrough so as to provide reasonably accurate thermal information tothe dynamic region of the label.

A “static region” refers to data about the content inside the sealedcontainer which does not change after the food is sealed inside of thecontainer (e.g., the type or size of the food sealed inside thecontainer, the cross-sectional dimensions, thickness or its protein typeand even permissible cooking time/temperature ranges for that specificprotein).

A “dynamic region” refers to data about the content inside the sealedcontainer which can change after the food is sealed inside of thecontainer (e.g., the current temperature of the contents of the package,or the occurrence of spoilage temperatures inside the container).

“Thermal information” refers to temperature related parameters or eventswhich may influence the cooking process or the suitability of the sealedcontainer for use in the cooking process.

Where alternative meanings are possible, the broadest meaning isintended. All words used in the claims set forth below are intended tobe used in the normal, customary usage of grammar and the Englishlanguage.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes a solution to the depressed (or sluggish)adoption rate for this Sous Vide cooking technique and also to benefitother cooking techniques as well (such as microwave cooking), to themutual benefit of the consumer and protein packing interests as well.Indeed, low-temperature cooking via Sous Vide techniques (circulating,temperature-controlled water bath) is not the only way to achieveslow-cooking. Equipment such as Crock-pots and Microwave Ovens couldbenefit from modulating their application of energy according to thepresent invention.

The system of the present invention includes a number principlecomponents. First, the system involves a machine-readable label (1D or2D barcode, QR code or even a passive RFID Tag) on the food-bearingpouch. This label includes the “food metadata” (food type, cross sectiondimensions, “done” time and temperature choices, etc.) of the contentsof the package bearing the label. For example, one type of data labelrepresented by the above type of commonly used QR Code can contain up to4,296 Alphanumeric or 2,953 binary bytes of information (more thansufficient quantities of information to sustain a machine-driven cookingprofile, even if food information, heating ramp-up and cooling ramp-downprofiles are explicitly included in the coded portion of the label). Thelabel, however, is an improvement upon prior approaches in that itincludes regions of Active Data in addition to the Passive Data. Forexample such a mixed Passive/Active Data Label could include a definedregion that contains one or more temperature-indicating fields, via sayliquid-crystal printing inks. These defined regions could therefore eachbe responsive to a certain range of temperatures, changing visual stateand indicative of the thermal status of the food-bearing pouch.

These non-static, thermally-responsive regions fall into two broadcategories: continuously-responsive regions that always representcurrent thermal conditions and “peak-hold” regions that “trip” when acertain, predefined thermal limit has been exceeded.

A system employing the active data/passive data pouch of the presentinvention could use such a pouch with a Sous Vide or other CookingApparatus containing a microprocessor that includes as internal orexternal components: 1) an Arithmetic operations unit capable of makingtime-based calculations based-upon the present time, the desired servingtime and the time required for a determined log reduction in foodpathogens (cooking time), 2) a pouch label querying means such as anadapted 1D, 2D or QR code reader or an RFID pinger; and 3) acommunications unit that includes logical, media connection means andprotocol stacks sufficient to receive instructions from an authorizedInternet-connected or cellular-connected mobile device, as well as adevice address that can be engaged remotely e.g., in order to permit aconsumer to remotely program a desired start time.

The microprocessor and program would therefore obtain cooking(time-temperature profiles) instructions from the food-bearing pouch,desired serving time instructions from the consumer (which could includeremote communications) and the present time. It would operate on thesevariables in a manner that would result in fully-cooked meal at therequested time.

The immediate application of a present invention will be seen in thefield of Sous Vide cooking, though those of skill will see that thepresent invention could be applied to other cooking appliances (e.g.,crockpots and microwave ovens) for which a controlled, reliable methodof cooking can be obtained based upon information in the cookingpackage.

Thus can be seen that one object of the present invention is to providea mechanism for using active and passive data in providing informationwhich controls a sous vide or similar slow cooking process.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a methodenabling a home user to begin a sous vide or similar slow cookingprocess from a remote location for a desired completion time withouthaving knowledge of the required cooking instructions to be used.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method andsystem to enable a sous vide or similar slow cooking process in whichthe cooking process is modifying by dynamic information processed andtransmitted by the package label.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sous videsystem which can be operated by a person lacking cooking experience.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system andmethod for providing for the quick and easy set up for the sous vide orother slow cooking process.

It should be noted that not every embodiment of the claimed inventionwill accomplish each of the objects of the invention set forth above. Inaddition, further objects of the invention will become apparent based onthe summary of the invention, the detailed description of preferredembodiments, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Suchobjects, features, and advantages of the present invention will becomemore apparent in light of the following detailed description of a bestmode embodiment thereof, and as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows static/dynamic multi-region label in accord with a firstpreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2 a and 2 b shows static/dynamic multi-region label in accord witha second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic of a system using a static/dynamic multi-regionlabel in accord with another preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 shows a time versus temperature chart for a hypotheticalapplication of the process of the present invention as compared to thecapabilities of prior art processes.

FIG. 5 shows a graphical user interface according to a preferredembodiment for a user of the process and system of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a conductive particle bearingmeltable link cell structure in accord with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a exposed cross section view of a conductive particlebearing meltable link cell structure in accord with a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 8 a and 8 b show ink layer and adsorbent layer top views of a RFIDtemperature indicator in accord with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 9 shows an exposed cross section view of a conductive particlebearing link cell with a melted ink layer in accord with a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 10 a and b shows a plurality of latching cells, each containing adifferent melt-point latching cell in accord with a preferred embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows a passive RFID process-monitoring probe with a pluralityof different melt-point latching cells in accord with a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Set forth below is a description of what is currently believed to be thepreferred embodiment or best examples of the invention claimed. Futureand present alternatives and modifications to this preferred embodimentare contemplated. Any alternatives or modifications which makeinsubstantial changes in function, in purpose, in structure or in resultare intended to be covered by the claims in this patent.

FIG. 1 shows a first preferred embodiment of the multicomponent label100 of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. In thisembodiment, the label 100 includes a first passive (static) informationregion 110 which can include (among other things), the identity of thecontents of a package containing the label, the weight of the contentsof the package containing the label, one or more of the protein typescorresponding to the contents of the package containing the label, apredetermined cooking time, or other parameters determined before orduring the process of sealing and labelling the contents of the package.In this particular preferred embodiment, the label for the passive(static) information region 110 comprises a QR code, which can containup to 4,296 alphanumeric or 2953 binary bytes of information. Such afield should be enable more than sufficient quantities of information tosustain a machine-driven cooking profile, even if food information,heating ramp-up and cooling ramp down profiles are included. A secondactive (dynamic) region 120 can be used in conjunction with the passivedata to significant improve upon the cooking process for the user whenused in combination with the passive data. For example, the active(dynamic) information region 120 in this embodiment comprises a seriesof temperature-indicating fields 122, which in this particularembodiment comprise liquid crystal printing inks. These defined fields122 would each be responsive to a different temperature within a certainrange of temperatures, and would change visual state (to be the “activebit” when corresponding to the current package temperature) in order tomodify and enhance the cooking instructions so as to reflect the currentstatus of the package.

A further variant or alternative embodiment label 200 is shown in FIGS.2 a and 2 b. This alternative, similarly, includes a first passive(static) information region 210 and a second active (dynamic) region220, but also further includes a visually indicated critical temperatureregion 230. In this region, one could use bistable liquid crystal inksthat would, once activated, “trip” when they reach certain definedcritical temperature levels (e.g., temperature events corresponding tofreezer burn, spoiling or the like). This region would be indicative notof the current thermal status of the food bearing pouch, but of postpackaging & labelling events reflecting the highest temperature that thepackage experienced on its way from producer to home. Of course, thoseof skill would understand that this region critical temperature region230 need not be physically distinct from the other regions of the label,nor do the passive 210 or active 220 regions need to be distinct, thoughthe use of a separate, information dense passive region 210 such as a QRcode provides for a greater conveyance of information, such as might benecessary for certain cooking profiles. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2b, the functionality of this component could be enhanced via theaddition of 232 a temporary means for constraining the criticaltemperature region 230, even when the label is stored above theTransition Temperature, as may be the case when labels are received bythe packing firm, prior to application to the food-bearing pouches andprior to process freezing for safe storage.

As shown in FIG. 3, the multicomponent label 100 is used on the body ofthe sealed package 140 to enable effective temperature measurement fordynamic temperature information via conduction through the sealedpackage. The sealed package can comprise one or multiple layers and ismade of a composition (e.g., a plastic) of a type known to those ofskill in the art. The system of the present invention enables one ormore of the sealed packages 140 to be placed in a sous vide or othercooking apparatus 150. The cooking apparatus preferably includes areader 160 which is either integrally part of the sous vide device orotherwise has a connection 152 (e.g., a wireless connection) whichallows the cooking apparatus 150 to communicate directly or indirectlywith a reader (e.g., a QR code reader on a smartphone, not shown).Internal to the cooking device 150 would preferably be an arithmeticoperations unit 170, a communications unit 180, and a microprocessor190. The arithmetic operations unit 170 is capable of making time-basedcalculations based-upon the present time, the desired serving time andthe time required for a determined log reduction in food pathogens(cooking time). The communications unit 180 preferably includes logical,media connection means and Protocol stacks sufficient to receiveinstructions from an authorized Internet-connected or Cellular-connectedremote device (e.g., a smartphone or desktop computer). The arithmeticoperations unit 170, a communications unit 180, and the microprocessor190 would therefore obtain cooking (time-temperature profiles)instructions from the food-bearing pouch 140, desired serving timeinstructions from the connected remote device and present time, eitherfrom the connected remote device or an internal clock (not shown). Thearithmetic operations unit 170 and microprocessor 190 would operate onthese inputs in a manner that would result in fully-cooked meal at therequested time.

As shown in FIG. 4, the process 400 of a preferred embodiment of theinvention involves the ability to monitor and control transition from afrozen condition 410 to a refrigerated condition to a cooking step 430.This process includes a first step of passing machine-readable cookingparameters (in effect, food metadata) from the pre-packaged, uncookedfoodstuff (e.g., chicken breasts) to the cooking device (e.g., the SousVide machine) directly or indirectly. These cooking parameters could bestep-oriented and exact, such as “cook at 134° F. for 2 hours andshut-off′ or “cook at 134° F. and turn-off heater and introduce coldwater or ice cubes into the vessel to hold for serving” or the cookingparameters could be solved by the machine, given food parametersidentified in the metadata such as: “Chicken breast, 1.2” maximumthickness, permissible core temperature between 134° F. and 140° F.,”permitting the user to select, within limits their “done-ness”preferences. Since all Sous-Vide and certain other types of cookingequipment presently contains both heaters as well as bath temperaturesensor it is conceivable that the present invention could include thefurther step of processing the dynamic temperature data contained on theactive regions of the food-bearing pouch, or the negative delta T of thebath when the food pouch is introduced to the bath to further refine thecalculations based on the initial temperature of the food pouch,advantageously to confidently produce safe food. Further, this processwould preferably involve a further step of receiving input from a remotelocation via a smartphone or similar device for setting a desiredcompletion time. As shown by example in FIG. 5, the provision forreceiving “Dinner (or other mealtime) Reservations” from the consumer'smobile device completes the automation of food preparation and theresult is a perfectly repeatable meal experience despite the vagaries offood-type, food dimensions, initial temperature conditions of foodpouch, schedule or changes in schedule of the consumer associated withthis device.

Still a further alternative embodiment for data cells for recording andtransmitting dynamic region information in accordance with the presenceinformation is shown in FIGS. 6-9. Such an alternative mechanism wouldinclude a passive RFID cell 600 as another way to guide the cookingdevice. Such an RFID cell 600 would be placed on a substrate layer 610of the label placed on a circuit trace 620. The cell 600 is formed by adam 630 which surrounds a conductive particle-bearing meltable link 640working in conjunction with pads 650 and an adsorbant 660. When acritical temperature has been crossed conductive particle-bearingmeltable link 640 is melted and is adsorbed by the adsorbant layer 660,removing or transducably diminishing the conduction path from thecircuit trace 620 between the two pads 650 (as shown in FIG. 9).Thereby, upon querying by a microcontroller (not shown), the cell 600will be indicative of having crossed this temperature boundary. Such analternative cell would not be interrogated not optically (e.g., via ascanner or camera) but rather via ports on a low-power microcontrollersuch as that suitable for ultra-low power energy-harvesting operation asmay be appropriate for powering via impingement of RF energy. Thisalternative embodiment would be particularly applicable to cells forirreversible temperature indication, such as to identify when foodstuffshave thawed or their temperature has risen above a critical threshold isthought to be valuable in the pursuit of food safety.

The cell 600 contents consist of thermo-morphologically bi-stableconductive material such as what is generally known as a phase-changematerial with a defined transition temperature that is at temperaturesof interest to the materials contained in the pouch.

In the case of foodstuffs, several Transition Temperatures could beimportant: 0° C. and 4° C. (32° F. and 38° F. respectively) the FreezingTemperature of Water and the High Limit of the range of Safe FoodStorage Temperatures. There are other temperatures as well, depending onwhat is contained in the pouch.

In the case of an optically queried label in the practice of the presentinvention: this phase changing material can be thought of as themorphological definition of the optical “bit” representing theTransition Temperature, with the actual indication being provided bypigment particles dispersed within the phase change material. When thetransition temperature has been exceeded, the matrix (formed by thephase change material and dispersed pigments) loses its morphologicaldefinition by transiting from solid to liquid and the now principallyfluid matrix is adsorbed by the materials surrounding the cell, makingthe optical character of the cell change accordingly, e.g., from blackto white.

In the case of an RFID or other electronically queried embodiment of thepresent invention this phase change material can be thought of as themorphological definition of the conduction path between the pads, withthe actual conduction provided by conductive particles dispersed withinthe phase change material. This embodiment's matrix, therefore, consistsof one substance that defines the morphological integrity and anothersubstance, dispersed within the first that defines the conductionintegrity.

When the transition temperature has been exceeded: the matrix, formed bythe phase change material and dispersed conductive particles, loses itsmorphological definition by transiting from solid to liquid and the nowprincipally fluid matrix is adsorbed by the materials surrounding thecell 600, greatly reducing the conduction between the circuit pads.

It is important to note that in the case of the electronically queriedembodiment of the present invention that the circuit connected to thecell is not required to be operational continuously, but only whenqueried, as with passive RFID “tags”. Because of the nature of thethermo-morphologically bi-stable conductive material, this link's statuswith regard to the defined Transition Temperature(s) can be read outonce the circuit is queried.

Given that there are a plurality of temperatures of interest with regardto food and likely more than one temperature of interest to non-food,thermally-processed materials: a complete solution of one embodiment ofthe present invention might include a plurality of latching cells 600,each containing a different melt-point matrix, as shown in FIGS. 10 aand 10 b. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10 b, the functionality of thelatching cells could be enhanced via the addition of 670 a temporarymeans for constraining the activation of the cells, even when the labelis stored above the Transition Temperature, again as the aid thesituation when labels are received by the packing firm, prior toapplication to the food-bearing pouches and prior to process freezingfor safe storage. Ultimately, such latching cells 600 can be arranged ina complete passive RFID process-monitoring probe 700, wherein theelements might be arranged logically as shown in FIG. 11.

The above description is not intended to limit the meaning of the wordsused in the following claims that define the invention. Rather, it iscontemplated that future modifications in structure, function or resultwill exist that are not substantial changes and that all suchinsubstantial changes in what is claimed are intended to be covered bythe claims. For instance, the application of the dynamic/static labelinformation of the present invention could be used with other cookingappliances (e.g., microwave ovens). Likewise, it will be appreciated bythose skilled in the art that various changes, additions, omissions, andmodifications can be made to the illustrated embodiments withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present invention. All suchmodifications and changes are intended to be covered by the followingclaims.

I claim:
 1. A package for providing an automated, controlled cookingprocess, the package including: a) a sealed container including athermally conductive layer; b) a multicomponent label for scanning, thelabel including; i) a static region including information about thecontent inside the sealed thermally conductive layer; ii) a dynamicregion, including thermal information which may be used in the cookingprocess of the package.
 2. The package of claim 1, wherein the staticregion and dynamic regions of the multicomponent label are separate. 3.The package of claim 1, wherein the thermal information includes thecurrent temperature of the package.
 4. The package of claim 1, whereinthe thermal information includes information corresponding to a spoilageevent.
 5. The package of claim 1, wherein the static informationincludes information corresponding to a predetermined cooking time forthe package.
 6. The package of claim 1, wherein the static informationincludes information corresponding to a predetermined cookingtemperature for the package.
 7. The package of claim 1, wherein thestatic information includes information corresponding to a portion sizecontained within the package.
 8. The package of claim 1, wherein thestatic information includes information corresponding to a protein typecontained within the package.
 9. The package of claim 1, wherein thecontainer is made substantially entirely of the thermally conductivelayer.